A LEAGUE OF HER OWN My first day at camp

My best friend and I were recently talking about the difference between reputation and character.

“Reputation is your public face,” he said. “It’s what people think you are. “Character is how you behave when no one is watching. It’s what you really are.”

Heather Harris

My best friend and I were recently talking about the difference between reputation and character.

“Reputation is your public face,” he said. “It’s what people think you are. “Character is how you behave when no one is watching. It’s what you really are.”

Prior to covering my first New England Patriots training camp, I looked over the Patriots roster to see if I could find a player who might interest me.

Tom Brady? What is there possibly left to learn about Tom Brady? Thanks to the tabloids, ESPN and round-the-clock local coverage, I know more about the Patriots’ quarterback than I do about members of my own family.

Vince Wilfork? Another great player, but a veteran who is so ingrained in Belichick speak that I knew that, short of waterboarding, I wouldn’t get much out of him.

No, I decided on the road less traveled. Frankly, the stars bore me. What am I going to ask Brady that he hasn’t been asked 1,000 times before?

“Tell me Tom, who were you looking for on third and long when they blitzed the cornerback?” “What kind of appliances are you and Gisselle going with in the new house? I hear stainless is so 2012.” Honestly, who possibly cares?

No, I wanted a story. Either an undrafted rookie free-agent or a veteran desperately trying to catch on with an NFL team. Someone not so rehearsed in the Patriot way. In short, I wanted to hear from someone with something to lose.

The rookies were unavailable to the media that day so I was limited to talking to a veteran.

Wide receiver Michael Jenkins fit the bill perfectly.

A free agent, Jenkins was a first round pick for the Atlanta Falcons in 2004 where he played until being traded to the Minnesota Vikings in 2011-12.

Now he’s vying for a position on the Patriot’s roster. At 31, he’s trying to turn the coaches’ heads. He is working to ensure that their perception of him a positive one, one that makes him a permanent fixture on the team. The average NFL career is three seasons. The ten-year veteran is well past that expiration date. The secret to his longevity? Hard work.

“Not everybody is going to make it to this level, but if they do, it’s the little things you can do when people aren’t watching…putting in that effort to be the best you can,” Jenkins said.

What he said can apply to just about anything, not just pro football.

If you cheat on your college exams, your diploma isn’t going to help much when you land that first job.

As a boss, if you rely on others to do the work for you, eventually your employees will move past and above you.

It goes for personal relationships as well. If you are nice to someone’s face, but talk negatively behind her back, eventually your reputation will be known as a fake, a gossip, someone not to be trusted.

You can only put up a façade for so long before your true colors, what you do when no one is watching, comes through.

From what I saw at training camp, even when the spotlight isn’t on him, Jenkins still puts in the extra effort.

“It’s about putting in the time, whether its working out or studying and doing everything you need to do when you are on the field, trying not to make mistakes and fall behind,” Jenkins said. “It’s about putting in that effort to be the best professional player you can be.”

And even though he isn’t guaranteed a spot on this year’s squad, it isn’t going to change how he performs.

“I can’t think about that (making the team) you just have to go out and work hard,” he said. “You have to make the most of every opportunity.”

I hope Jenkins is given the opportunity to suit up with the Pats this season. His experience and attitude will be a good fit.

And because he’s a hard-working receiver who makes the tough catches. That’s not perception. That’s reality.

Heather Harris is reporter for the Norton Mirror, Mansfield News and Easton Journal. A three-sport high school athlete and two-sport college athlete, sports have long been a passion of hers. The mother of two can be seen keeping it real in Mansfield, where she resides. Heather Harris can be reached at hharris@wickedlocal.com